elbows up against colonialism!
About 8ᵗʰ fire rising
What does it mean to “put Canada first”? The provinces are attempting to expedite the regulatory approval of regional infrastructure projects which will shore up their extractive economies (oil, gas, mineral mining). But, such fast-tracking will come at a cost to Indigenous peoples and settlers, local ecologies, and public coffers.
We are an Indigenous-led coalition of concerned and impacted communities working to build a broad-based movement with labour and land defenders. We aim to fight back against recent legislative infringements on Indigenous jurisdiction, violations of workers’ rights, and the corporate pillage of lands and waters across these lands.
Coined by Stephen K. Bannon, “flooding the zone” is a fascist strategy where you change so many laws and policies at once that you overwhelm people and make them feel like they can’t fight the onslaught of oppression.
This strategy is now being used in Canada by Prime Minister Mark Carney, in coordination with provincial and territorial premiers. Click on each of the bills below to learn more, or visit our research page.
Canada
Bill C-5
The Building Canada Act will expedite “national interest projects” by speeding through and overriding Indigenous rights and environmental regulation. The One Canadian Economy Act will break down interprovincial trade barriers through a race to the bottom of regulatory standards.
Canada
Bill C-2
Bill C-2 is a cruel and violent law that aims to create a mass deportation machine by imposing a one-year refugee deadline, mass surveillance without warrants, forced corporate spying, the removal of privacy protections, and foreign access to your data.
Ontario
Bill 5
Under the guise of looming U.S. tariffs and red tape, Premier Doug Ford has ‘unleashed’ a wave of social and ecological threats to Ontario by ignoring the province’s Duty to Consult with Indigenous nations, speeding up mining approvals, and creating extremely deregulated and dangerous ‘Special Economic Zones.’
British Columbia
Bill 14
The Renewable Energy (Streamlined Permitting) Act is one of the twin laws (Bills 14 and 15) brought in by the government of David Eby. The focus of the bills is to expedite the regulatory approval of provincial energy and infrastructure projects and critical mineral mining.
British Columbia
Bill 15
In a step back for reconciliation, B.C.’s Infrastructure Projects Act will require provincial regulators to prioritize and rapidly issue permits to expedite major infrastructure builds, ignoring Indigenous rights and the province’s constitutional duty to consult.
Quebec
Bill 97
With Bill 97 (an Act Mainly to Modernize the Forest Regime), Quebec’s Legault government is proposing to turn as much as 30 percent of the province’s forests into sacrificial logging zones. The bill proposes to ‘divide’ Quebec’s forests into different ‘zones’ which will grant extractive industry easy access for development.
Nova Scotia
Bill 6
This omnibus bill opens the door to long-banned uranium and fossil gas extraction, despite opposition from the Nova Scotia Assembly of Mi’kmaw Chiefs, environmental organizations, and residents (who oppose the bill for fear of waste mismanagement and the toxification of their homes).
connect
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Want to connect with us directly? Use the contact form to send us a message or email us at comms@8thfirerising.ca.